Player-piano construction.



C.' FRE-Bom.,

. .PLAYER PIANO CNSTRUCTION.A l APPLICATION FIIED NOV. 24,19l3. A1,268,448, Patented June 4, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

C. FREBORG. P; AYER .PIANO CONSTRUCTION.v A1"PLI CATI0N FILED NOV. 2.4'.191.3.

Patented J une 4, 1918. V

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

C. Fassone. PLAYER PIAN() CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICAT-ION FILED NOV- 24.19.13'.

E: mi L `lll. JV l l i n l PMT/7566;.-

CHARLES Freizone, or KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS.

I PLAYER-PIANO d CONSTRUCTION.

Specicati'onfof Letters Patent.

Patented Junefi, 191s.`

Application'led November 24, 1913. Serial No. 802,796. 1

To all 'whom it may concern:

Beit known that LCHARLESUFREBORG, a citizen of the `United States,.residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois,khave invented certain new and useful Improvements inPlaye-r-PianoConstructions, rof. whiclithe following `is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n player piano construction, andhas lfor its object to provide a more compact `and simpler form ofconstruction as regards the pneumatics and airy controlling means andmeans to support the same.

My .invention contemplates the use and arrangement of what I termindividual operating units, which comprise a pneumatic and aircontrolling member, as I term 1t, detacliably secured together andadapted to be adjustably mounted on a combined support.

ing and air conducting member.

Still another object 1s an arrangement as described above, which willpermit replacementor adjustment of individual units without thenecessity of disarrangingthe entire operating system.

Still another object is the arrangement of my air controlling membersandsupporting bars so thatthe latter may be utilized to transmit thereduced pressure or suction from the main bellows or .air exhaustlngmechanism to the air controlling means andf from thence to vtheactuatingv pneumatics when it is desired to sound anote.

Still another object is the provision of new and improved aircontrolling members compactin structure and eflicient in opera tion tocooperate with attached pneumatics to actuate a corresponding striker. l

These and other objects will beset forth in the following specificationand accompanying drawings,.in which: 1

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a portion of a player pianoshowing my improved mechanism;

Fl g. 2 1s a. plan view of a number ofthe Y air controlling members, oneofy the samef being removed to vshow a plan view of a pneumatic;` y

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partiallyzin'section showing the interiorarrangement of one of my air controlling and pneumatic units;` f y Fig.4 1s aifront View of a number.of= `these units showing one zrnelevatlon,another in sectionralong theline a-z ofFig. y3r Y the third .in sectionalong the line b-bof Fig. 3;

`ig. is a perspective of one of the air controlling means showing thediaphragmV and valve mechanism removed and the member in invertedposition;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation showing general arrangement of a pluralityof the.

operating units supported on three spaced apart supportin rods or bars.

Like numera s refer to like elements.

throughout the drawings, in which 10 des ignates generally a playerpiano having the tracker board 11 from which lead a plurality of tubes12. corresponding to different notes are car- .ried bv the piano 10 (thesame not being shown), and coacting with these strings yare the usualhammers actuated through intermediate mechanism by abstracts 13. Theselabstracts 13 may be actuated by the usual` form of finger operated keys14, if so der.

sired. This mechanism forms no integral.

part of my present invention and I do not consider it necessary todescribe the samefurther in this specification.

A plurality of strings.-

A plurality of horizontally arranged barsV or tubes 15 are provided,these bars being4 in communication at their ends with ducts or conduits16 from the main bellows or air exhausting means, not shown.

These, bars 15 v,

are preferably circular in form and hollow,

be described later. Apertures 15a are pro-- vided at predeterminedintervals in the bars 15 and are in communication with the interiorthereof, as shown for example in Fig.

3. Mounted upon these barsl 15` are a pluto provide `air conductingmembers as will loo.-

therein and serves to divide the chamber into I kchamber 20 and servesto support a dia-r phragm 21 therein, the member 19 being provided withthe inwardly directed flange or shoulder 19a in the chamber 20 againstwhich the edge of the diaphragm 2l is pressed by the cup or cap Thisprovides an airtight construction, preventing leakage of air around theedge of the diaphragm from the chamber 2Oa to 20b or vice versa. A shortduct or passage19" leads from the chamber 2Ob to a cross aperture 19Cformed in a. shoulder portion 19b of the air controlling member 19. Thebar -15 closely tits in cross aperture 19c as shown in Fig. 3 and theshoulder 19" is slotted or split, as indicated at 191 to vpermitclamping ot the air controlling member 19 to the 'bar 15 in adjustedposition. The aperture 19 is adapted to communicate through thecorresponding aperture 15"- with the interior o1 the bar 15, the saidaperture 19u being enlarged with respect to aperture 15ato permitrelative adjustment of the air controlling member on the bar 15 at thesame time witlr out interfering with the communication or' chamber 20)with bar 15. A passage 25 is provided in the air controlling member 19and this passage is bifurcated to form the portions 25a leadingoutwardly at their extremities, as clearly shown in Fig. 1l. Thispassage 25 is adapted to communicate with the chamber 2Ob through theaperture 2Oc constricted indiameter relative to the said chamber, asclearly shown in Fig. 3. The passage 25 is also adapted to communicatewith the exterior of the air controlling mehr ber 19, through theaperture 26 in which is detachably mounted and apertured, collar 27.This collar carries a cross strip 27a and a similar bridge or crossstrip 28 is located in alinement therewith and extends across thechamber 201. The strips 27a, 28 are suitably apertured to providebearings or'the stems 29, 29h, respectively of the valve 29 which ismounted beneath the collar 27 and adapted to normally close the aperture20c, as shown in Fig. 3. The stem 29" extends downwardly to a pointadjacent the surface of the diaphragm 21 when the latter is in saggedposition, as shown in Fig. 3. lVhen in the position shown in Fig. 3, thevalve permits communication through the apertured collarand passage 25from thebuter air, as will be explained later. A similar chamber orpassage 30 is located in the wall 30a which separates the bifurcatedportions 25a of passage 25, and this chamber or passage 30 is incommunication through aperture 22ZL of cap 22, with the chamber 2Onbelow the diaphragm 21. Asmall bleed duct 31 extends from the chamber2Ob to chamber' or passage 30, shown in Fig.I 3 and a threaded. bleedvalve 32 is threaded into a suitable aperture in the dividing wall 30ato regulate flow of air through said bleed duct 31, as will be apparentfrom examina- 19e being suitably threaded. The boss 19f is partiallyundercut, as indicated by numeral 19h,the usual form of pouch or bellowshaving the top and bottom portions 18a, 18", respectively, convergingadjacent one end and secured together by the collapsible, flexible-material 18c forming an airstight bellows in effect.` A recess 18d isprovided in the top of upper member 18a ot pneumatic 18. This recess isprovided with the undercut shoulyder 18e of contour similar to the boss19 of air controlling member 19, and these two undercut shoulders areadapted to interlit, as shown in Fig. 3.

Member 18a is apertured from one end thereof to said recess 18d, asindicated by numeral 18t and a clamping bolt or screw 35 extendstherethrough to and through the apertures 19g inthe yair controllingmember 19. This bolt or screw 35 is threaded at one extremity to engagethe threaded aperture in boss 19@ the threaded portion passing freelythrough the aperture in boss 19f. A washer 36 may be placed beneath thehead 35a of clamp bolt 35, as shown'in Figs. 3 and 4. A strip'of felt orthe like, indicated by numeral 37, may be placed between the pneumatic18` and lair controlling member 19. The top member 18a of the pneumaticis suitably apertured, as is the strip of felt 37, these apertures beingindicated by numerals 38, and being in register with apertures 25a andthe air controlling member 25. It will be apparent that when theoperating units are assembled, the air controlling member 19 may beplaced with the bosses 19e and 19f in the recess 18d of pneumatic 18 andwith the aperture 19c of the air controlling member 19, fitting on thetube or bar 15. Clamping bolt or screw 35 may then be placed through thecorresponding aperture land threaded into engagement with the boss 19ewhereupon the boss 19f will be drawn into close engagement with theshoulder or recess 18d and the bosses 19e, 19t will be simultaneouslydrawn together, thereby clamping the air controlling member 19 t0 thebar 15, as will be apparent. f

The inclined Contact between boss '19f and shoulder'oi:l recess 18d`willoperate to draw the air controlling member 19 into close contact withthe top member 18a ot' pneumatic 18, thereby operatingA to preventleakage of air between the air controlling member and the pneumatic. Thelower member 18b of pneumatic 18 is provided with the outwardlyextending tongue 39, detachably secured thereto and in contact with thelug 39 of the corresponding one of sticker bars 13.

The operation of my improved device is as follows Tracing the operationand interconnection of one of the operating units, the action of allbeing similar, it is to be noted that a constant vacuum or suctionobtains in the duct 16, during the operation of the main bellows or airexhausting means, not shown, and this suction is also transmittedthrough the respective tubes or bars 15, to the individual aircontrolling member 19, through apertures 15a and passages 19 so that anegative air vpressure exists in chamber 20h. Ordinarily this wouldresult in drawing up of the diaphragm 21, but in the construction shown,this does not occur, owing to the communication of the bleeder duct 31with the passage 30, and consequently with the underside of diaphragm21. This communication is restricted by means of the bleeder valve 32adjustably to regulate the size of opening so that the diaphragm may beacted upon both sides by the suction and upon suitable adjustment of thebleeder valve 32 the position of the diaphragm 21 may be adjusted tocome ordinarily during use of the player mechanism to a position closelyadjacent the lower end of valve stem 29", as shown in Fig. 3. This lastdescribed effect is obtained in the following manner: Assuming thesuction obtaining in the tubes 15 to be approximately constant, andassuming that the pneumatics are not operating, it is obvious that thepressure on both sides of the diaphragm 21 is the same, so that thediaphragm 21 would maintain its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3.However, in the use of the piano, as soon as the pneumatics areconstantly operating, the re stricted communication of'the chamberbeneath the diaphragm 21 with the chamberA above, would delay the flowof air from one to the other and consequently the balancing of thepressure in both chambers is delayed so that the pressure above thediaphragm is slightly less than that below, as we are dealing withsuction or pressure below atmospheric and the tendency of the diaphragmwould be to rise, thereby opening the valve or causing vibration of thesame. This tendency is overcome, however, by the action of the suctionabove the diaphragm upon the under-surface of the valve 29. It will thusbe seen that while the diaphragm will be drawn close to the lowerextremity of the valve stem 29", accidental opening of the valve will beprevented, as stated above, at the same time causing and permittingquick opening of said valve when it is operated.

This action it will be understood obtains when the note is being played,a number of times and frequently so that quick action is possiblewithout skipping of notes. When the operating unit is as shown in Fig.3, the pneumatic 18 is in communication with the exterior atmospherethrough aperture 20, passages 25 and passages 30a, so that atmosphericpressure obtains in the pneumatic 18, permitting the lower member 181thereof to remain in dropped position, as shown. In this position theend of the tongue 38 is in contact or approximately in contact with theblock 39, carried by the sticker bar 13, the latter being in downward orrest position.

Upon a note-aperture in the music roll, corresponding to the operatingunit described, being passed over the corresponding opening in` thetracker bar 11, the air will be permitted to flow through tube 12 fromthe exterior atmosphere to the duct 33, and into the passage 30. It isto be noted that previous to such registry of the aperture in themusic-roll relative with the tracker bar opening, a vacuum obtains inthe corresponding tube 12, owing to its c0111- munication with thepassage 30. The inrush of air at ati'nospheric pressure is transmittedthrough ytube 12 and duct 33 to the chamber 20 beneath the diaphragm 20.Since the opening through bleed duct 31 is so restricted by bleed valve32, the amount of air which may be drawn through the passage 31 frompassage 30, when atmospheric air is admitted to the latter, is so slightas compared with the amount fiowing into passage 30, that the pressurein chamber 20b is raised an inconsiderable amount, as compared .with therise of pressure in chamber 2()a so that diaphragm 2() will be drawn orforced up to actuate valve stem 29b thereby raising valve 29 to positionclosing aperture 26. When in this position the chamber 20D is incommunication with the interior of the pneumatic 18, the passagescommunicating therebetween being of considerable size so that the vacuumor suction existing in the tube 15 quickly obtains in pneumatic 18 andthe members 18d,r 18b are quickly drawn together, thereby raising member18h and actuating the corresponding striker through the medium ofabstract 13. As soon as flow of air has ceased through tube 12, theelements of air controlling members resume their position shown in Fig.3 as soon as communication with the atmosphere is cut-off to chamber 20,thereby causing a partial vacuum or suction to obtain in both chambers20, 2Ob

and permitting the valve 29 to seat, shown in Fig. 3 closing aperture20C.

When it is desired to remove or adjust individual pneumatics, a removingof fastening bolt 35 will permit removal of pneumatic`18 and a looseningof bolt will be sul'licient tol permit rotation or lateral fadjustmentof the air controlling member and pneumatic'comprising the operatingunit, upon 4thetube or bearing l5, the aperture 19 in the :aircontrolling'member-19 being enlarged as compared With apertures 15a inthe bar l5. It is apparent that adjustment ofthe operating unit may bemade uptor down or laterally to compensaterfor adjustments of otherportions ofthe=mechanism Without disturbing Vthe operation of the units.

lIt will be apparent that I have provided an improved form ofcperatingunit construction, as Well as an improved form of supporting and airconducting means making for a considerable reduction in the total Weightand providing an increased efficiency and simplicity of construction.not present in any present day devices of similar character.

It will also be apparent that mymechanism is susceptible of manymodifications and changes and I do not Wish to be restricted to the formshown and described beyond the scope of the appended claims.

I claim l. In a device of the class described, a supporting member, aplurality of individual air-controlling members mounted on saidsupporting member, and avplurality of individual pneumatic members,means to secure said pneumatic members to said air- `controllingmembers, said means being also constructed to secure saidair-controlling members to the supporting members.

2. In a device of the class described, a supporting` member, a pluralityof individual air-controlling members mounted ron said supportingmember, and yaplurality of individual pneumatic members, means to securesaid pneumatic members to theair-controlling members, said means beingalso arrangedto secure said air-controlling members to thesupporting-members, each of said air-controlling members being in,communication with the corresponding of said pneumatics, said fasteningAmeans being further constructed to draw and hold said members in closeassembled relation to prevent leakage of air therebetween.

3. In a device oli' the class described, an air conduit, an aircontrolling member adjustably mounted thereon, said conduitbeingprovided with an aperture, said air controlling member being providedWith an enlarged slot or aperturepermitting communication of said memberWith said conduit in any of a number of adjusted positions, and means toadjust and hold in adjusted position on said conduit said aircontrolling member.

4. In a device of the class described,in dividual air-controllingmembersand individual-l pneumatic carried thereby, said pneumatics and`air-controlling members coniprising When assembled a plurality ofoperatinfgunits, a combined supporting and air-- conducting member, saidunits being adjustably,attached-to said member and in commun-icat-i ontherewith.

5. In a device of the class described, a combined supporting and air-conducting member,said member being provided with apertures, a,plurality Y of vindividual air-` controlling members adjustably mountedon saidsupporting member, said air-controlling members each havingpassagestherein to register and communicate With the apertures in saidfirst-namedv member.

6. In a device of theclass described, supporting bars, air-controllingmembers having Aan'apertured slotted portion adapted to lit on said barsvand be clamped thereto.

7. 'In a device of the class described, cylindrical bars, individualaircontrolling members having a clamping collar portion partially split.and constructed to fit on said bars, said split collar portion beingconstructed to permit clamping of the air-controlling members tosaidbars.

8. rIn aA device of the class described, cylindrical supporting bars andcentrally apertured to provide air conduits, :air-controllingl membershaving ,apertured portions partially split and constructed to liton-said barsusaidsplit portions being operablefor clamping of saidair-controllingmembers on and in `adjustable position relative to saidbars.

9. -In a .device of the class described, `an air-controlling memberhaving an undercut shoulder, an actuating pneumatic having an undercutyrecess fitting oli-'and engaging said shoulder .of said i pneumatic.

10.111 a. device ofthe` class described, an air-controlling memberhaving an undercut shoulder, anactuating pneumatic having an undercutrecess constructed tolit on and be secured tosaid shoulder otsaidpneumatic, andzmeans to secure:` thepneumatic to said air-controllingmember, said means i being arranged to 'draw-sa-id undercut shoulderandrecess into interftting relation.

11. `In a device ofthe class described, an air-controlling member havingan undercut shoulder, a pneumatic having a recesswvith an undercutshoulder constructed to fit on and engage said first-named shoulderofsaid pneumatic, said `air-controlling member being provided With-anapertured shoulder. said shoulder-being:partially split, and a'.clamping member extendingibetvveen said split portions and adapted toclamp thesame to .a supporting member.

12.1Ina deviceaof the class described, an air-controlling memberhavingan undercut shoulder,-a. pneumatic having an undercut recesslconstructed to' :fit on and engage said shoulder of the pneumatic, saidair-control- In testimony whereof, I have subscribed ling member beingprovided with a partially my name.

split apertured shoulder, and a clamping member extending between saidsplit por- CHARLES F REBORG.

. tions and operable to clamp the same to a supporting member, saidclamping member Witnesses: being also operable to secure said pneumaticEDYTHE M. ANDERSON, to said air-controlling member. HENRY A. PARKS.

009i o! this patent my ln ahmed to: Ive nu mh, by addressing the"commissioner of hun,

Washington, D. 0."

